The biomechanics of Wolff's law: recent advances.

"Wolff's law" is widely known in orthopaedics. For example, it is often said that load bearing devices, such as joint replacement prostheses or external fixators, cause bone to adapt according to Wolff's law. In this article, the scientific basis for Wolff's law is described in the light of recently developed biomechanical theories of bone behaviour.